v8c13: Ancestral Approval (Patreon)

The yurt was utterly silent in the predawn light. Baatar’s eyes roved to the other elders, all seated in a circle around the walls. The mortals looked tired, but all were present for this matter, such was its importance… especially when Baatar was the one who called the emergency meeting.

His Grandchildren had come to him first with their revelation.

“Tell them what you told me, Tarkhan, Sarnai.” Baatar said, his voice cutting through the tension. Tarkhan nodded firmly at his command.

“We conversed with Great Ancestor Tianlan.”

His words made everyone in the room suck in a breath at the bold declaration that they had talked to Great Ancestor Tianlan. 

Their own history, while a point of pride that it was more complete than the other Sects, was still woefully broken. There were hundreds of years just missing, with nothing to mark their passing. 

Before the memory crystal given to them by Cai Xiulan, they had many interpretations of what Tianlan actually was. 

Some said she was a human. Others a spirit, others a goddess. Some just said she was the abstraction of the province itself, for they had the same name; The Azure Hills were Tianlan Shan… but that had little support.

What was known was that she was a great guardian and protector. That she had lived among them, taught them how to listen to the earth, and had delivered them from many calamities. An ancestor worthy of veneration.

But more than that, her name was mentioned in the vision, the vision of the prophecy, and more times since. The greatest of them heard the earth speak that name, when they had meditated in that most holy of places.

Baatar himself had heard the whisper of Tianlan, in his deepest meditations.

The memory crystal had only confirmed their oldest legends.

Yet It was one thing to listen and hear the Earth, it was another thing to talk to it.

“How did you come to speak to the great Ancestor?" Baatar asked.

“While we were attending to Master Rou… he did something. He gathered his might, his Qi, and poured it into the earth. It was like the tide of the ocean, pouring into the southern ravine; more Qi than perhaps even our entire people could hope to match.” Tarkhan narrated. “It filled the land, the air, the water… like it was meant to be there. Like it was right. And when he was done, he looked to us and said: “We give to the Earth, and the Earth gives back. Isn’t it right to give a portion of our strength to our home?”” 

Baatar nodded at the profound wisdom that had been given. He could see it percolating through the room; the respect and tribute the Herald had given to the ravine obvious to all. Was it perhaps one of the ways he was repairing the Dragon Veins?

“So when we got back to our Yurt… we followed Master Rou’s guidance.” Sarnai continued. “We pressed our Qi into the earth, but it was.. Tiring. It was like pouring a bucket of water into a ravine passage and expecting it to fill, but if Master Rou could offer such tribute to our ravine… we could too. And at first nothing happened. Until we touched something. Something deep.”

“And when we opened our eyes, we were… somewhere else.” Tarkhan took over again. “She appeared before us on a field of verdant grass. It was night, the sky filled with ten thousand golden stars, brilliant in their hue. On her left hand she bore a tattoo of the old style—the Sunburst and the rings. Her clothes too were of the old style of the ravine, save for the bottom of her dress, which looked more Imperial. Her eyes… they were blue. Tianlan Blue, and ancient.”

His tone was reminiscent. Like he could see the moment again, his eyes brimming with wonder. Sarnai’s eyes were similarly distant, a small smile on her face… when they both suddenly winced. Their reminiscing eyes turned shifty for a moment, like they were considering omitting part of their tale, before a raised eyebrow stopped that nonsense in its tracks.

“We paid our respects...but we were too zealous in our greetings.” Tarkhan said stiffly.

“She… ah… headbutted us. And then scolded us for being foolish children in the old tongue.” Sarnai admitted.

There was, for a moment, silence. Ganzorig gaped at his children, torn between disappointment and the sheer absurdity of the statement. Most of the other elders were in similar states, some more horrified than others that the Great Ancestor had been insulted… but those who had read deeply of the lore of the Ravine knew that this was just another sign of the truth.

“Her chastisement is just as the texts state.” Baatar said mildly. There were three fragments that described the way the Great Ancestor punished the unruly.

“Truly?’ one of the Elders asked, baffled. 

“Truly.” The oldest, save for Baatar said, her wizened voice barely more than a whisper. “Any who disbelieve, I can bring them to the correct writings, of which there are three from the time of darkness. The great Ancestor would meet her forehead with the unenlightened, and through the connection, grant wisdom.”

“And a rather nasty condor egg, I would imagine.” Someone muttered, so quietly Baatar could barely hear them.

“It is a great honour to receive such a blow.” another agreed.

“She forgave our transgressions, proof of her benevolence, and asked us to sit with her.” Tarkhan hurriedly continued, his face red and mortified. “She waved a hand and conjured seats and butter tea…”

The room lapsed into silence again as the children recounted their meeting, but Baatar took note of the little things. Ancestor Tianlan called Master Rou her Herald.

She confirmed that she only recently awoke; that it was the actions of the Herald that allowed her to be again.

To others who might need more confirmation, it was another piece of proof. Only those who would never believe would not trust the story now.

“She said it is not wrong to fear… but we should march to where our hearts take us.” Tarkhan finished.

The room was silent for a moment, as they digested what they were told.

“We can speak to her?” One of the Elders asked, their voice hopeful.

“At least, we can truly hear the wisdom of the earth!”

Baatar frowned as the exclamations started up. He could see the clouded eyes. Their intentions were not wholly pure.

“So, you gave your Qi to the earth, and you managed to converse with the Great Ancestor?” Everyone turned to Tseren, one of the more zealous Elders. He pressed his hand to the ground and he surged with Qi, pressing it deep into the earth. All could feel the energy; it was more than he had used in decades, more than any man used outside life or death battles. His hand glowed. His face turned red… and then he slumped, gasping, when he could pour no more Qi into the earth. He had just used power he had husbanded for decades… to no apparent effect.

His face flushed at the stares. “There was nothing.” he said, sounding defensive.

“Your greed has clouded your vision. Did you even listen to Tarkhan and Sarnai?” Baatar demanded. “The Ancestor appeared to them because of their earnestness. They asked for nothing, only that they aid our home, and were rewarded. You shove your Qi into the earth, all but demanding an audience, and you are surprised when you are ignored?”

Tseren’s face turned further red at the chastisement. The mood in the yurt turned contemplative. Some of the other elders were looking at their hands, like they might try what Tseren did, but in their own way, because of course they would do it better and receive her attention.

Baatar shook his head at the foolishness.

“Do we truly need to have her constantly advising us?” Tarkhan suddenly asked, and the murmured conversations stopped. Even Baatar felt himself lurch. Of course they needed the Ancestor’s guidance, along with the words of the Earth!

“Blashpemy!” wizened voice declared.

“Heir Tarkhan, you dare?”

The mood instantly turned ugly.

“Explain.” Baatar demanded, his voice tight. Tarkhan stood tall and strong under the searching gazes, and met Baatar’s eyes without flinching. “We have been without her guidance for thousands of years… and the first thing she said to us was that we had done a good job.”

Baatar’s brief rage at the blasphemy Tarkhan had uttered faded with his words, instead turning to contemplation.

“And her last words, when she wished us goodbye, were to trust in ourselves and go forwards.” Sarnai whispered.

Tarkhan nodded. “The Earth has spoken. The Herald has spoken. Our Great Ancestor has spoken. We have received her praise. We have received her blessing. She approves of our course of action.. Does she need to give some grand speech to each new person, or do we listen to what she said?”

“She had little golden cracks in her body.” Sarnai said, her eyes narrowing in remembrance. “On her collarbone, just under her sleeves, and at her hairline. She is still injured.”

“Injured and freshly awakened, by her own words.” Ganzorig cut in, the once Master of the Sect easily taking control of the room. “Her attention is likely focused on repairing the dragon veins along with Master Rou; And not just the Dragon Veins of the Ravine, but of the entire province. Yet our first thought after receiving her grace is to scream for her attention like children. What entitlement! The Entitlement of Imperial Young Masters, demanding the stars be moved to better suit his mood!”

His words were blunt, and many looked down in shame.

Baatar closed his eyes, and let a smile form on his face. What descendants he had!

There was a contemplative silence. “Then what do we do?” Someone asked.

“What we have been doing. The Great Ancestor has decreed our path good.” Baatar said. “Is that not wondrous? Is that not yet more vindication? Our cups overflow with wine, and our bowls have a mountain of rice so high we would never be able to eat it all! Tianlan looks upon us and approves.”

Baatar let the grin fully form on his face, let his Qi fly free.

“So let us rejoice! Let us sing and march forth, knowing that this path is a blessed one! Let us offer our thanks with earnestness, knowing the Earth will be whole and hale for our children and our grandchildren! We craft our future with our actions today. In the name of Chengis Altan! In the name of Tianlan! Uukhai!”

“Uukhai!” Tarkhan took up the call.

“Uukhai!” The elders cheered.

===

Gaolan blinked as a swelling, jubilant feeling filled her stomach. It felt kind of like she had to burp.

Slowly, hesitantly, treads of Qi reached down, giving thanks to the earth beneath their feet.

===

===

What joy is there, in knowing people who you respect and revere think you're doing a great job.